Everything You Want
by HPFreak2
Summary: Ron finds himself alone, even among his friends. Who will save him?


**Everything You Want **

_Song by: Vertical Horizon _

Ron sat at the table and listened to the pair of them, trying not to snarl or snort or scream.

"Oh Harry, stop it! I we have to actually _do_ our homework."

Ron didn't look up, but he heard Hermione's shrill giggle.

"Oh, but Hermione, do we _have _to?"

He felt like gagging he hated being around them when they flirted. An anger rose in him every time it happened, and it was hard to fight back.

Hermione giggled again, and he knew that Harry was 'distracting' her. Hermione continued to giggle, and he even heard Harry chuckle.

"_Harry!_ Stop it!"

Ron's eye twitched, and he balled his fists. He tried to concentrate, but the flirting continued ruthlessly, and he began to shake with frustration and anger. He was _trying_ to _work_ for Merlin's sake, why couldn't they just get a bloody room already?

The giggling stopped and Ron heard a whisper of a sigh from Hermione.

Ron snapped his book shut and rose, not looking at Hermione or Harry until he was spoken to.

"Ron? Where are you going? Are you finished already?" Hermione's sweet voice wafted his way, and he turned at the staircase to speak to her. Her innocent brown eyes held adorable curiosity, and it sent a stab through his heart.

"Yes," was all he could think of to say.

"Alright. See you at dinner." And she turned back to her work.

He heard her laughter again right before he smartly snapped the boys' dorm door shut. He tossed his books on his bed and paced the room. He couldn't stand it. His feelings for her were growing so rapidly every day that he couldn't keep up. He couldn't stop them. And the more he fell in love with her, the more she seemed to fall for Harry. He was digging himself into a hole, and the light above his head was getting smaller and smaller as time progressed.

Deciding that he couldn't just pace off his frustration, he left the dorm and marched past Harry and Hermione without them noticing, as they were busy flirting like mad again. He rolled his eyes and climbed out of the portrait hole, and walked fiercely down the halls, with nowhere in particular in mind. The corridors were decorated beautifully for Christmas, and the chill that normally whispered through the halls was nowhere to be found for Ron. His brisk walk kept him quite warm.

He slowed his pace as he walked past a girl's lavatory. It was the same bathroom that Harry and he had saved Hermione from the troll. He furrowed his brow and shook his head, and continued his stroll.

Ron spied a staircase, and climbed it, and realized he'd found himself in the Owlry. He paced to a windowless hole in wall and looked out at the snowy grounds. He allowed himself to sigh, and watched his breath puff out in front of him. And with a start, he heard Hermione's giggle again. Would the woman haunt him forever!

No, he realized, as he spotted her and Harry having a snowball fight down on the grounds. She tossed one at Harry and missed, and Harry chucked one her way, but she dodged.

He watched it continue, and his mood shifted from anger to sorrow. He tilted his head as he watched her smile, and pathetically chuck a snowball in Harry's general direction. _Come on 'Mione, hit him!_ He thought with a tiny chuckle.

Deciding that he couldn't stand watching any longer, he left the Owlry to wander the halls instead of stalking them. He replayed some of what he saw in his head and sighed. She was so perfect. Why did he have to be so not perfect? Why did he have to be awkward, stupid and clumsy? He didn't deserve her. Harry did. He was the hero after all.

Ron didn't know personally if Hermione liked Harry, but he could tell. She didn't have to tell him. The way she talked about him, how her eyes lit up when he walked in the room, and the way she would flush that adorable shade of pink if he complimented her on a homework paper. She never reacted to him like that.

Ron found himself almost to tears and furiously wiped them away. He was acting like a baby. This was nothing to be upset over. It was his fault, after all, for not trying harder to win her over as Harry had obviously already done.

He didn't know how long he'd been wandering the halls, but it eventually fell dark, and the torches burned bright as he followed them along the now oddly chilly halls. He turned a corner and heard someone weeping heavy sobs. It was coming from a dark corner, and he approached it carefully.

"Hello?"

He heard a sharp intake of breath, and a scramble. Whoever was there obviously didn't want to be seen.

"Hello?" He said again.

"Go away." She whispered.

"Hermione?" He got no answer, so he continued, "Hermione, what are you doing?"

"I said go away."

"Hey, it's me, come on now," He said, reaching out.

"I know it's you Ronald, you dolt. Now leave me alone." She sniffed and now he could see the tear streaks down her cheeks, and he reached out to her again.

"Come on Hermione, what's the matter?" He was truly concerned. Not to long ago he saw her so happy that she glowed. Now the shadows seemed to cling to her face.

"Leave!" She yelled.

"I will not!" He yelled back, and her eyes got wide as she stared, her ragged breathing echoing in the empty hall. And without warning, he reached out to her and took her arms.

"I won't just leave you here to be miserable! Now tell me what's the matter." He wasn't forceful, but gentle. She stared at him a minute before suddenly leaning heavily against him. He wrapped his arms around her, as it was the only thing he could do to keep her up. He stroked her back as he felt her tears wet his robes.

"H-harry." She mumbled. He pulled her away from him to look at her.

"What has he done?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." She cried.

"That what's got you so worked up?" He gathered her to him again.

"Ron, I've done an awful thing."

"You? No way." He tried to be humorous, but it didn't work.

"I've fallen in love with him."

Ron froze. His blood ran cold. His heart was breaking. He pushed it away.

"But I can't be with him. He's got it in for Cho. I tried to tell him just now, and he plainly refused me." She sobbed.

"Oh Hermione, it's alright." He had never seen her so upset. She must truly love him.

"It hurts." She whispered, and unexpectedly wrapped her arms around him and sobbed onto his shoulder. He held her, just as she was, trying to absorb some of her pain. He hated seeing this.

"Hermione, I know what you're feeling." Did he really just say that? "And you'll be fine. I promise. I'm here for you. You will be okay. Harry just doesn't know what he's missing out on." Obviously.

She got rather quiet, but she seemed to just hold him closer.

"How foolish I am," She said quietly, "to just fall blindly like that."

"It's not foolish." He said, and leaned his forehead on her shoulder. He couldn't help it. The contact felt so very right. So…perfect.

She gently pulled away and turned from him.

"I'm blind in more than one way," she said softly, hugging herself. She sniffed and turned to him. "Why haven't I been paying attention to you, Ronald? I've been so wrapped up in my worthless tries with Harry that I've been ignoring you completely."

He wasn't going to argue with her.

"I didn't want to get between you. I've been rather quiet myself lately." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the ground.

"I have noticed that. But it was so inconsiderate of me to just flat out ignore you. I should have said something, or done something when I noticed your change. But I didn't. And I feel terrible for it."

"It's okay Hermione, I understand."

"I was just so bloody _blinded_ by Harry's charms and flirting and all the attention he was paying to me. Little did I know, he was seeing Cho the entire time, and his happiness wasn't because of me," tears welled, "it was because of her. I…I meant nothing." She sobbed once, and hugged herself tighter, hanging her head in shame of her foolishness.

Ron moved forward and wrapped his arms around her, and she clung to him and sobbed again. When she was finished, she pulled back to look at him.

"How foolish I was," She said, placing one soft palm on his cheek, "not to see that you're in love with me."

The bottom of his stomach dropped out, his eyes got wide, and his face flushed scarlet. And to his horror, she smiled.

"You don't hide it well Ronald." She settled herself against him and sighed. Ron, who had no idea what the hell was going on, just kept his arms around her. And then he suddenly relaxed, enjoying the feel of her against him; he again rested his head on her shoulder. He swayed gently, just because it felt right. She sighed again, the same sigh he'd heard but earlier this afternoon. And this time, it was he who made that happy breath come from her. He smiled.

"Good," he said, "because I don't want to hide it anymore."


End file.
